Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

Art Is What You Make It

There is no argument we are cursed to live in interesting times. Events of the past few weeks have made things too interesting by far for most of us. Let's hope the last minute maneuvering to save the US economy works. Too bad most of us are clueless as to how this happened.

On a wing and a prayer our economy flies now

We all understand home prices jumped to unheard heights when the interest rate was dropped down to record lows and stayed there for the longest time. In a nutshell, supposedly smart people who should have cared and known better turned out to be average people with above average greed.

Homeowners were sucked in along the way as many succumbed to the Pied Piper's tune telling them prices would not go down and they could use the equity in their home like a free ATM machine. It was a glorious party, but now the hangover and reality have set in with a monstrous financial headache. It's not that simple, but the essence is there and applies to the highest gilt-edged boardrooms as well as modest two bedroom bungalows.

Can these really be the best of times?

Now, if you are not so depressed about the undoing of our national financial underpinnings, you might be wondering how you can sell some art. I have been saying in workshops, consulting sessions and private conversations for some time that these interesting times are arguably the best of times for visual artists. How so you say? Simply, there are more ways to create your art and more ways to get your art to market than any previous time.

You are not relegated to choosing between oil and acrylics and paper or canvas. You might be start your creative process with the Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camerafor digital photography to capture an image and manipulate it in Photoshop. Or to perhaps learn exciting techniques for making digital imagery in Painter. If you choose the latter, you'd be wise to partake of the tremendous knowledge from Masters such as Marilyn Sholin. You might be digitally painting on the fabulous Wacom Cintiq 21UX 21.3" Tablet with Interactive Pen. 

Are you working in convergence media?

If you are doing these things, I think you are creating something I call convergence media. Like mixed media, the term it borrows the name from, it requires pulling together in unique fashion an artistic vision using a variety of techniques, tools and products to create the final image. Then again, you may be putting paint on canvas as always and just using technology to do image capture to print giclees. And, there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

Just a few short years ago, you would have been doing none of this. Nor would you have a blog, or an online presence with your own Website, not mention the many worthy sites that will help you market your work. In short, right now, you have more opportunity to control how your art is made and more unique ways to find collectors than before.

These are the best of times to release all your creativity

If you have a spirit of adventure and a streak of creativity, you ought to be thinking of how you can use this new technology to create new ways to make and display your art. Why do vehicle graphics have to always be a movable billboard. Why can't they also be a piece of movable art? Do you have the resources, vision and chutzpah to graphic wrap something larger than a Hertz bus? Challenge yourself to go beyond your traditional thinking. How can you use your creativity to create something unique memorable and fantastic? If you rise to the challenge and answer that question and succeed with your vision, you are certain to have your ticket punched for the fast lane to awareness for yourself and your art.

Maybe your vision, budget or stomach for adventure is more mundane. Why not think about using wood, mylar, plastic or other substrates to create art. Here's an idea; you could work with a custom furniture maker to create art that is part of the furniture! The only limit is your imagination being throttled by yourself.

Below is an example of how Dutch photographer Suseela Gorter is using technology to create new ways to have her work displayed and appreciated.

Blooming Window Art - Flat Flowers Stickers (GALLERY)

(TREND HUNTER) These Flat Flowers stickers are the work of Dutch photographer Suseela Gorter. Flat flowers are photographs of flowers in a vase printed on a clear and static material. You simply stick the Flat Flowers… [More]

Start your own creative wheel turning. Let your mind wander. Daydreaming is essential to creative thinking. Write things down as you think of them. Use The Brain to capture and connect your thoughts. You have the capacity to do something unique. If you challenge yourself and respond, good things are bound to ensue.

Wild Wings at 40 & Wildlife Art Genre Both Going Strong!

Congrats to Wild Wings on its 40th year in the art print market!

My colleague of many years in the art print market, Larry Richardson, recently sent the interesting informative newsletter seen below. It is a bright reminder the wildlife art field is one that remains vibrant.  It was this genre that led the way to the print market's greatest sales figures in the heyday of limited edition reproductions. Artists such as Bev Doolittle, Robert Bateman and Carl Brenders, to name just a few,  became superstars in the field.

Numerous art print publishing companies such as these: Wild Wings Art, Mill Pond Press, Greenwich Workshop, Somerset House, Hadley House Publishing, Applejack Art and many others flourished alongside their superstar artists in the golden era of limited edition art prints. Though market conditions have changed, these publishers continue to produce successful print editions and introduce new artists as well.

The genre spawned two publications to serve it, Wildlife Art Magazine, which remains a stalwart in the field and USArt, which met its unfortunate demise as the mania surrounding large number limited editions lost luster in a market that ultimately became over saturated.

Here are Larry's observations and thoughts on the wildlife market:

The art of wildlife and outdoor scenes that sprang to its zenith in popularity over three decades ago is still a viable fundraising tool with organizations made up mostly of hunters and fishermen.  But even those who are not "joiners" want to decorate and daydream by looking at a beautiful, realistic scene.  Yes, realism and more so photo-realism has been kept alive by this avid group of conservation-minded individuals who in most part are not art aficionados, but nevertheless, support a segment of artists who otherwise might not pursue their chosen career. 

Like other artistic pursuits, the majority of the very successful wildlife artists made their early living in an associated field if they were lucky.  Waiting tables as a second job helped support their dreams.  The elements to become successful as a wildlife artist are found in other vocations as well. First is artistic talent that is recognized by a particular public and, yes, even exploited (read--take it to the bank).  Perseverance and initiative must be present. You don't have to be an extrovert, but having a little ability to relate to people sure helps.

Rich Resource for Blogging Tips and Blog Content

Occasionally, one encounters a person whose energy and vision cause you to stand back in awe and wonder. A reaction like this often comes upon the realization of how much good one turned on person can do, and how humbling it feels to know the work at which you marvel was crammed into an already busy productive life.

One such person is Lorelle VanFossen. She ranks with Katherine Tyrrell (Making a Mark blogger and creator of 66, and counting, Squidoo lenses) as one whose imprint from leading an interesting and prolific life is impressively evident all over the Internet.

Lorelle is a tireless blogging pioneer,author, professional nature photographer and lecturer. The subject of this post today comes courtesy of one of her many blogs: Lorelle on WordPress. Here is just part of her bio from her blog:

Who is Lorelle?

There are many sides to Lorelle VanFossen. One is a public speaker, instructor, writer, and consultant on web writing, web design, and blogging, especially working with WordPress. Another is as a transient traveling the world as part of the duo team of VanFossen productions,professional nature photographers and writers presenting workshops and programs on travel, writing, and nature photography.

Called a blog evangelist, on Lorelle on WordPress she writes about everything WordPress and blogging,covering more than you may want to know about how all this blogging business works.Taking Your Camera on the Road is dedicated to providing educational and experiential information on travel, nature photography, travel photography, and life on the road.

Lorelle is also the author of the popular Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging, a book covering the basic to intermediate tips you need to know before and during your blogging experience, the first book of its kind. She shares her many years of online journaling, web writing and publishing, and blogging experiences as one of the first website owners and publishers on the web.

Her post, Blogging Tips - Hundreds of Resources for Finding Content for Your Blog is the point of this post today. This list, compiled two years ago and still relevant, is a perfect example of Lorelle's incredible output. I cannot imagine anyone who blogs to not find this massive helpful list of links useful and inspirational. Check it out; I'm sure you will agree.

The Last Lap Closes the Gap

I recently had a long engaging conversation with one of my three sisters. In the past few years, she has faced major changes in her life, including having lost a husband to cancer too early and seeing both her daughters move out and get on with their lives.

When one starts over after building a life around a family for 40 years, it can be disconcerting to just get enough traction to overcome inevitable inertia, much less get done with all the tasks facing a person in this position. For her, there were additional complications to deal with during this time. The dissolution of a complex estate and business, and the successive deaths of her in-laws whose estates also became her responsibility.

She dutifully managed and muddled through the most urgent items, (you can't keep the tax man waiting), but dithered on many other projects as they were just too overwhelming on personal, physical, psychic and emotional levels to crank on until done. I can't say I, or anyone else I know, would have been able to do more or better in her place.

When she had had enough time and had enough of living with too many unstarted or unfinished projects, she hired a professional organizer to help her get a grasp on what needed to be done and how to efficiently go about it. The decision was one of the best she's made when it comes to getting her life back under her control and giving her time to not just reflect but to react on the reflections.

She admits without the help she would still be quagmired in too much to do and not enough direction to begin to crawl out of it. To watch the metamorphosis has been enlightening and encouraging. I'm happy for her seeing a renewed interest in projects too long dormant. (She is a gifted musician, vocalist and composer and is now moving towards fulfilling some deferred goals with her muse and music.)

Seeing how an organizer has helped her confirms my belief that professional coaches, such as Art Biz Coach, Alyson Stanfield, profiled in the previous post here, can make a distinct difference on your career. The point is, whether you use Alyson or find your own adviser, if you hook up with one who works well with you, it is highly likely to pay impactful dividends on your career and business.

In the conversation with my sister, she mentioned marveling at her organizer's ability to continuously make what she adroitly calls The Last Lap. That is, work steadily on a project to completion. And, for her to see the projects finalized was very freeing for her. As they toiled away, the malaise of too much to do washed away and a brighter outlook came on her horizon.

What my sister found was to see projects either worked on steadily to completion, or if stopped before done to have the time taken to button up work in progress so as not to distract and demoralize, and to also take time to prepare before leaving an agenda for what actions were necessary to accomplish the next items on the list. These things are simple in reading, but too many tasks can be difficult and paralyzing in real life.

If you suffer from your own malaise bogged down by minutiae and too many things to do without enough time, you are a good candidate for some outside assistance. If you worry the cost will be too great, I argue the cost in not accomplishing the urgent important items in your life and career is far more costly.

A couplet came to mind as I wrote this:

The last lap
Closes the gap.

With due respect to Leonardo da Vinci's quote "Art is never finished only abandoned." I will intrepidly say finding a way to move more of your important urgent projects to completion will produce results you will enjoy. Stephen Covey's maxim, "Keep the main thing the main thing" is apropos here. Organize, prioritize and act on the main things in your life and reap the inherent benefits from your focused actions.

Discover How to Boost Your Career with the Art Biz Coach

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today -John Fogerty lyrics to Centerfield

As a serious visual artist you need to surround yourself with people who can assist your career. They don't all have to be in your immediate circle of influence. Some of your best help will likely come from people with whom you may have no personal relationship, at least initially.

The Art Biz Coach is a standout in her field

Obviously, when it comes to a gallerist, dealer or curator, a close relationship is ideal. When it comes to someone who can help you get your career in gear, the help can come from a distance and be just as good as if the person were on your staff. In my humble opinion, the best most singular example of such a person is Alyson B. Stanfield, aka the Art Biz Coach.

In all probability, you already know of her, perhaps you subscribe to her excellent free Art Biz Blog, or have ordered and read her book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio. Or, maybe you've seen her speak or participated in one of her always insightful teleseminars. Whether you have partaken of her offerings, or not, it's in your interest to be aware of all she has to offer you as a visual artist.

Artists Can Learn from Alyson and from Her Example

You can see links to her books and services in the right sidebar of this blog. They are there because I believe Alyson is best positioned and experienced to offer coaching to artists seeking to elevate their careers. Her temperament, background and experience make her ideal for the work she does. If you want more information from my perspective, check out this page.

If you have had the good fortune to spend time whether by phone or in person with Alyson, you know she is a spark plug of energy and enthusiasm. We should be grateful she has chosen to work in the art patch. Yes, it's fun, has its moments and more than a bit of glam to it, but when it comes to being lucrative, there are other fields that offer more bankable potential. With her talents, she could have easily been a hit in some other occupations and careers. But, fortunately for our little corner of the world, Alyson is in it.

The Art Biz Coach Can Help You Get in the Game

If you haven't bought her book, treat yourself to more ideas and great suggestions than you can imagine in one a book. You can start reading on any page and find yourself taken away with inspiration and solid suggestions on how to improve your art business. Check out her speaking schedule and teleseminar schedule. If you find something of interest and follow through, you will be glad you did.

For those of you ready play and tired of sitting on the bench, heed John Fogerty's lyrics and let the Art Biz Coach put you in game in a professional way. 

The Value of a Descriptive URL

I began publishing Art Print Issues in 2005. Initially, it came was delivered as an 8-page PDF newsletter and available in HTML at:  www.artprintissues.barneydavey.com, a subdomain of my www.barneydavey.com Web site. BarneyDavey.com serves to promote my book and consulting services. You can find links to those early newsletter archives here on Art Print Issues.

Choosing the right blogging platform is helpful

A couple of years ago, I converted to blogging using Typepad as my platform. At the time, I felt the free Blogger was not robust enough for my tastes and WordPress platform required too much tech ability. Although both alternatives have made great improvements, I have never regretted the choice.

Choosing and using the right URL is both smart and crucial

Until recently, despite owning the ArtPrintIssues.com URL since well before its newsletter inception in 2005, I forwarded the address to my BarneyDavey.blogs.com Typepad URL. That was partly due my domain registrar not allowing me to do domain mapping. With domain mapping, one can use a service such as Typepad and have their personal URL function as their blog address. This looks so much more professional than having a composite subdomain address.

I had a confessed complacency with my doing something about my Art Print Issues URL. Since the Typepad URL contained my name, I delayed the hassle of transferring my URL to another domain registrar. I was also unnecessarily concerned about losing traffic or causing confusion during the process.

Choosing the right domain registrar makes your life and marketing easier

If you pay close attention to goings on here, you may noticed I finally put in the request to transfer from Namesecure to GoDaddy for my Art Print Issues domain. Now I wish I had done it sooner. Namesecure.com, my former domain registrar, has no way to contact or communicate with it besides email. It takes 24 or more hours to get a response. If you have issues, you have to be patient. GoDaddy, by comparison, has 24/7 US-based live help for all its services. There is no comparison. I have found the GoDaddy service to be topnotch with professional, friendly and knowledgeable. It took about a week to get the URL transferred. ICANN rules state they have to be done in 5 business days.

Once I had Art Print Issues with GoDaddy, it only took a few minutes to make the well documented changes provided by Typepad to the CNAME records. A couple of hours or less later and my Art Print Issues began to appear to my blog readers in the address bar. If you have any posts saved or bookmarked to the former URL, don't worry. They still work and will point directly to what you wanted to keep.

A good domain name is worth thousands, even millions!

Domains have a commoditized value. A check at www.urlappraisal.net shows ArtPrintIssues.com has an auction value of $5,629 while BarneyDavey.com is $7,540. When you think about name value, it makes the effort to get a URL in your own name as opposed to borrowing one from one of the free services worthwhile. When you use www.yourname.blogger.com, you do not own the URL and it has no value to you. I cannot be too smug about the value of my URLs when compared to ArtBizCoach.com which comes in at $32,645, or Art.com only worth a whopping $17 million and change.

The marketing communication branding value of a good domain to an artist is priceless

More importantly than the commoditized value of your URL is the priceless value of your personal brand of which your URL should be an important part. It can be debated, but I believe using your name in your URL is the best thing you can do. It helps with keyword searches, with personal branding, with recognition and with memory. If someone knows how to spell my name, they can easily find my Web address. If I tell someone to find my blog just remember Art Print Issues, they can get there easily without having to write down or remember some long complicated multi-part (yourname.blogspot.com) nomenclature.

When it comes to promoting your art, you are the brand. I think tag lines like "Painter of Light" are nonsensical and pretty much useless. Every painter paints light, some might capture it better, but do they truly sell more work because they say something like that in a slogan? I doubt it. To my ears, such phrases sound like empty words of blah-blah bravado. If the slogan were descriptive, "Painter of Vintage Autos", it would at least have communication and marketing value. But, I digress.

It's not too late to start using a good domain to help market and promote your art business

If you don't own the URL that is your name, and it is available in any form, get it. If you need to make it: www.johnsmithartist.com,  or some other variation, then get the one that works best. I realize some names are long or difficult to pronounce and this is a special challenge. In such cases, you may to be creative in how you brand yourself. Whatever you decide, stick with it and promote it like there is no tomorrow. You may have a considerable investment in branding a URL without your name, you have to decide what the value is and what the future value of using your name would be to you. It could be a tough thing to change, but in many cases, especially for emerging artists, it's better to bite the bullet now than waiting until you feel you have no options.

If you have a blog or Website that uses a multi-part URL that you don't own, try to get it domain mapped using your new URL. GoDaddy arguably is the easiest and it provides an email account with your URL. Speaking of email, set yours up so you can use the URL as your email address even if it is forwarded to your gmail, Yahoo, or AOL email address. This is just another case of looking professional and extending your brand into cyberspace. The more searchable your name, the better off you are. The more professional you appear in the details, the more confidence you give to dealers and collectors. A lot of little things that are nearly intangible go into making your best presentation of yourself and your business.

Robert Genn on "The Look"

Robert Genn's latest "Clickback" on his wonderful Painters Keys site is titled, The Look. Here are the first couple of paragraphs:

It's a curious subject that's seldom discussed and surprisingly poorly understood. The idealists and the practical are at odds about it, but it's really neither good nor bad--it just is.

I'm talking about "the look" in popular art. Art is a commodity joined at the hip to an artist's name. That the name is recognized from the work is both its beauty and its curse.

Bob's pithy essay starts a rich discussion on the subject that is not far from the one discussed in the previous post here titled, Art vs. Marketing. I wrote a response you can find featured on the right sidebar of "The Look" Clickback . But, I have to say the other many varied perspectives offered by artists are what make for good reading and more fodder for the marketing and business side of art. Check it out, I'm sure you will agree.

Who can say enough about Robert Genn? When you look at how prolific he is as an artist and what a marvelous resource he has made his The Painters Keys into for artists, it's either inspiring to see the output one turned on person can produce, or intimidating to think you are not up to his standards. If the latter is getting you down, then just build that foundation one brick at a time. Try not to have to relay any and keep steadily at it. You may surprise yourself with your own capacity for churning out all manner of art and marketing too.